Sopot Grodzisko

The Grodzisko in Sopot is an early medieval fortification dating back to the 8th century, surrounded by an earthen rampart and a moat, nestled in a picturesque beech forest. This site functions as an archaeological open-air museum, operating as a branch of the Archaeological Museum in Gdańsk. Its research history began in 1885 when the German scholar Hugo Conwentz conducted the first exploratory investigations. Unfortunately, documentation and materials from later excavations carried out in 1934 by Wolfgang La Baume were lost during World War II. After the war, between 1961 and 1966, research resumed under the direction of Aleksandra Szymańska and Alicja Łukowa from the Archaeological Museum in Gdańsk. In 1995, under the leadership of A. Szymańska, excavations were resumed and continued in subsequent years, enabling further discoveries and a deeper understanding of the site's history. The Grodzisko in Sopot not only represents a key site in archaeological studies of the early Middle Ages but is also a fascinating destination that attracts tourists and history enthusiasts, offering insights into the lives of people centuries ago and the defensive architecture of that era.